


for the dancing and the dreaming

by BloodRaven55



Category: RWBY
Genre: Babies, Babysitting, Canon Compliant, F/F, Light Angst, One Shot, Post-Canon, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, and just pure unadulterated, plus some, with only a very small hint of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24131710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodRaven55/pseuds/BloodRaven55
Summary: In which Blake comes to a realisation when her and Yang babysit for Weiss.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 24
Kudos: 179





	for the dancing and the dreaming

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a sucker for any and all stories involving Blake and Yang with Beebies, but I wanted to try something slightly different and explore how they might reach the decision to have kids, since it's an area I often feel isn't covered as much but which has a lot of potential. Also as is probably evident from my supreme lack of productivity lately, I've been struggling to finish any fics I start working on, so this feels like a big success to have finally completed something again XD
> 
> Oh and the lyric used as the title comes from [this beautiful song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLcrxhE_xQw).
> 
> Anyway... enjoy!

Babysitting for Weiss wasn't exactly how Blake had planned for her and Yang to spend their Friday evening, but they hadn't had any particular plans, so she was happy to do a favour for their friend. Weiss had decided to adopt a son a few months ago, wanting to do her part to provide loving homes for the many displaced orphans that the war for Remnant had left in its wake, and since she had no partner at the moment that meant most of their friendship group had ended up babysitting at one point or another.

Weiss had explained to Blake a while back that she didn't want her child to be raised by hired help the way she mostly had been herself, and so on the rare occasions where she couldn't take care of Julius herself one of them would step up and offer to watch him by unspoken agreement, most often either Blake and Yang or Ruby, though Jaune as well as Ren and Nora also proved surprisingly adept at childminding.

Now that most of them were living separately and not in constant contact like they had been during the war, Blake suspected Weiss had also just been a little lonely. They all made an effort to meet up regularly, but for someone who'd never had a stable family yet always longed for one, Blake imagined that might not quite be fulfilling, certainly not as much as a child of your own at any rate.

“Blake,” Yang called from the kitchen, cutting through Blake's wandering thoughts. “Would you mind tidying up in there while I feed him?”

“Sure, no problem,” she answered, and her mind drifted again as she began to return the assortment of toys scattered across the floor to their box in the corner and shift the furniture back into place.

This was the third time they'd looked after Weiss' kid for the evening, and Blake could no longer deny that she enjoyed it. Julius—or Jules as Yang insisted on calling him, much to Weiss' annoyance—was loud and messy like any baby, yes, but he was also sweet and curious. It might be frustrating when he cried for seemingly no reason, or when he accidentally threw a toy underneath the sofa, or when he played with her ears and tugged on them a little too hard, but that was all insignificant compared to how it felt when he laughed at a silly face she pulled, or when she read a book to him and he reached out to try and turn the pages even though he was too young to understand the words.

With the living room now in a relatively ordered state once more, Blake headed through to join her fiancée in the kitchen, only to pause for a beat as she reached the doorway, struck by the sight in front of her. Yang was leaning against the black marble counter, holding a sleeping Jules in her arms, and Blake’s chest suddenly felt tight. Yang glanced up and met her eyes, raising a finger to her lips in a reminder not to wake Jules, and Blake smiled as she stepped cautiously into the room.

She wasn’t entirely sure why it was having such a strong effect on her, but seeing the protective way her fiancée was cradling Weiss’ child—the tender look in Yang’s eyes as she returned her gaze to the tiny human in her arms—had her heart melting. Something about it felt right, and she found herself remembering how Yang had played with Adrian when they stayed with the Cotta-Arc family in Argus, and how Yang had looked out for Ruby when they first started at Beacon.

_Yang would be an excellent mother._

She’d known as much for a long time, but the thought caught her off guard nonetheless, and she swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat.

“Can I hold him?” she asked quietly, and Yang nodded, handing Jules over carefully.

The first time they’d done babysitting duty, Blake had been extremely nervous about holding a baby, or even just being left alone with one if she was honest. She’d never had any experience looking after young children before, let alone babies, and she’d been terrified of doing something wrong, sure that she’d end up hurting Jules somehow. But after a few hours of watching Yang expertly slip into parenting mode, and some encouragement from her fiancée, she’d become much more comfortable.

As a member of the White Fang, and as Adam’s partner, children never used to be a consideration when she thought about her future. She’d never stopped to wonder if she wanted any of her own, assuming that it wasn’t an opportunity she’d ever have, and feeling like she wouldn’t have deserved it regardless. But now, looking down at this little boy she’d grown so fond of—moreso than she ever could have anticipated—as he dozed peacefully in her arms, she felt a wave of emotion wash over her.

It was all too easy to imagine they were in her and Yang’s kitchen, holding a different child—a child with the same tufts of dark hair but with eyes that were amber or lilac instead of green—and she knew with complete certainty that she wanted this. She wanted to have children with Yang, and she wanted to raise them in a better world than the one her generation had grown up in.

“Yang,” she began, pleased when her voice only wavered slightly. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” Yang moved a little closer, curling an arm around Blake’s waist and resting her chin on her shoulder, and Blake instinctively leaned into the casual affection.

“Would you— Do you ever think about having children?”

There was a long moment where Yang didn’t answer, and Blake almost regretted bringing it up, especially as she felt her fiancée go tense where their bodies were pressed together. Eventually Yang broke the silence, and Blake breathed an internal sigh of relief. “I—”

Whatever Yang had been about to say, it was cut off by the sound of the key turning in the lock, followed by the front door swinging open.

“I’m back,” Weiss’ voice called from the hallway, and Blake wasn’t sure whether to be frustrated or grateful that their friend had interrupted the conversation.

* * *

Things had been weird between them for a week. Well, that wasn’t exactly right since nothing tangible had actually changed, but something _felt_ weird to Blake. Ever since they’d babysat Jules for Weiss last Thursday, she hadn’t been able to shake the discussion they’d had—or more accurately _tried_ to have before Weiss arrived home—from her mind, and it was driving her crazy.

The idea of having children was big and scary, but also very exciting, and she knew that they needed to have a proper talk about it. She didn’t know what Yang had been going to say if she’d been able to finish answering, and they needed to find out if they were on the same page here. Blake was completely committed to Yang no matter what—having children or not wasn’t a dealbreaker for her—but it was still a huge question mark which they would have to consider.

“Sweetheart,” she murmured when they’d settled into bed that night, and Yang gives her a hum of acknowledgment in return. “Do you remember the conversation we had at Weiss’ last week? Before she interrupted us.”

“Yeah,” Yang said after a moment of silence. “I was kind of waiting for you to bring it up again.”

Blake turned over in her fiancée’s arms so that they were face to face, and she couldn’t quite read Yang’s expression. “Is it okay if I ask what you were going to say? When I asked you if—”

“—if I want kids.”

Yang paused, letting out a sigh, and Blake was ready to hear that Yang was sorry but simply didn’t want the same thing. “It’s okay if you don’t,” she reassured her. “I love you, Yang, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That will never change whether we have children or not.”

“No, that’s— that’s not it. I do want to build a family with you, Blake— so much. I’m just scared.”

That wasn’t at all what Blake had been expecting to hear, and she ran a soothing hand along Yang’s arm. “Scared of what?”

“So many things. What if something goes wrong? What if I screw up with our child like Raven screwed up with me? What if one of us leaves for a mission like Summer did and never comes back? What if—”

The words spilled out like Yang had been holding onto them for a long time, her voice cracking with emotion, and Blake took her fiancée’s hand in her own before Yang could spiral fully into panic, giving a comforting squeeze.

“Yang, look at me.” She waited until her fiancée made eye contact, and then she continued, keeping her tone gentle and calm. “First, you could never make the mistake that Raven did. She was weak, but you’re strong—the strongest person I’ve ever known—and you would be a fantastic mother. I’ve seen how good you are with Jules— how good you were with Adrian. You’re a natural.”

Yang’s grip on her hand tightened, and she looked conflicted, like she was at war with herself. “Maybe, but… what if something happens to one of us? I— I don’t want our child to grow up without a mother like me and Ruby did.”

Blake lifted their joined hands to her mouth, pressing a soft kiss to her fiancée’s knuckles. “Yang, when we faced Adam, were you scared?”

“Of course I was,” Yang said, confusion flashing across her features.

“And when we faced Salem, were you scared then too?”

“I think I would have been stupid not to be.”

It was a poor attempt at a joke, but Blake smiled anyway, grateful that Yang had calmed enough to try and lighten the mood. “And did you ever let that fear stop you from trying anyway?”

She watched as understanding dawned on her fiancée’s face, and Yang slowly shook her head. “No, I— I didn’t.”

“Exactly.” Blake was quiet for a moment to let the words sink in. “And that’s precisely what makes you strong. I’m scared too, sweetheart—of course I am—but if you want to try then I do too. We protect each other, remember?”

Yang let go of her hand, and Blake instantly missed the warmth of it, but then her fiancée cupped her face, kissing her tenderly. “Always,” Yang said as she pulled back.”I promise. And— And I want to try.”

“You d-do?” Part of Blake still wasn’t totally convinced that this was real, and she was sure she must have misunderstood what Yang was saying.

“I do,” Yang said, her smile still one of the brightest things Blake had seen in her twenty-five years of life.

“We’re really going to start a family?”

“We really are.”

Something about the conviction in Yang’s answer finally cut through Blake’s lingering disbelief, and the knowledge that they were actually going to do this hit her. She kissed Yang again, and they were both smiling too much to hold it for long but also too happy to care. Eventually Blake gave up, peppering light kisses over her fiancée’s jawline instead, over the freckles dusting the bridge of Yang’s nose, before Yang’s laughter set off her own and they simply settled for hugging each other.

“I love you,” she said, her words muffled against Yang’s neck but no less sincere for it.

“I love you too, Blake.”

Even if she’d lost count of how many times they’d said it to each other before, Blake would still never get tired of hearing it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! All comments apart from non-constructive feedback are not just welcomed but hugely appreciated and I'll see you all next time <3


End file.
